Wave and current electrical generator.



PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

L T. WILMORB. WAVE AND CURRENT ELECTRICAL GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT.23.'1905.

3 SHEET$-SHEET 1.

No. 833,361. PATENTED OGT.16. 1906. J. T. WILMORE. WAVE AND CURRENT ELECTRICAL GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED 0GT.23. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

J. T. WILMORE. WAVE AND CURRENT ELECTRICAL GENERATOR.

APPLICATIOK FILED 001223, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

" Let the'numeral designate .a suitable 'UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. WIiLM-ORE, O-F DE NVE-R COLORADO.

wAv: AND CURRENT ELECTRICAL GENEFtA T OB.

ing to be a full, clear,,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertai'nsto make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawi and to the figures of reference marked' fiiereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention'relates to electrical generators adapted to be operated'by the Waves of the ocean or other large bodies of water or by the currents of rivers or flowing streams.

bodiment t ereof,

,instrumentality ofchains or other, suitable My object is to provide a thoroughlyprac ticable construction ,whereby electricity may be generated through the instrumentality of waves and currents, thus doing away entirely with the necessity for other power..-

The invention will now be describedin dei tail, reference bei made to theaccomp'anyin'g drawin s, in,w 'ch is'illustrated anem- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved construction, illustrate ing its use as a wave-motor. Fig. 2'is -a top or plan view of the construction as it'would appear whether, used .as a wave or current motor. Fig. 3 is .a sectional detail view taken through the rotary drum surrounding the field of the enerator, the said drum being provided wi blades or paddles to be acted on by the waves or currents. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 3.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the. views.

frame suspended from posts 6 through the l flexible devices 7. On this frame are mountedone or more drumsS, provided with blades oraddles 9, projecting frorn'their. exterior su acp. In the drawings @two' of these drums are illustrated. It is evident that the scope of the invention isjsufficiently broad to .These drums are cover one or more drums. provided withheads 10 and stuffing-boxes '12, surrounding the armature-shaft 13, the

said shaft being stationary in boxes 14, secured to the frame. The drums .are thus revolubly mounted upon the armature shaft Specification of IPatent. Application filed October 28, 1905. Serial No. 283.925.

Patented Oct. 16. iooe.

and free to rotate therearound in response to "the action'of the waves or currents.

As shown in the drawings, the druin is providedmteriorly with a cogged zone or gear 15 which meshes with two ears 16, journaled understood, referring now more especially to Fig. 1' ofthe drawings, that when the apparatus is so-locatedlthat, it is accessible to the ,ocean wayes theu per part of the wave will act upon the pad es or'blades, as indicated of the drum, while, the undertow or-reverse current; as indicated by the arrows B in the same figure, will act on the bladesor addles on the ower part of the drur'n. In t way thetwo-movements ofthe water in reverse directions are simultaneously utilized for pro-.

pelling the drum. i

As the drum is rotated in the direction in- .dicated b the arrows C in Fig. 4 the field 21 is rotate in thecreverse direction, as indicated by the arrow D in the same figure. Thisrnovement of'the armature is obtained through the instrumentalit'y of the gears 16,

actuated bythe gear 15 of the rotating drum. Du this operation it is evident that a current 0 electricity will be generated and may be taken fromthe commutator-of the armature and carried through the instrumentality of the conductors .to any desired distance, whereit. may be utilized for doing work of any kind.

When the device is used as a current-motor, it will beonly partially submerged in the stream. In this case the water-level is indicated by the dotted line E in Fig. 4. When the device is used in this manner, the lower arrow C inFig. 4 may indicate the direction of the current which acts' only upon the paddles or blades on the lower part of the drum, the upper blades being above the surface of the waterl The'operation of the device in the arrows A in Fig. 1, on the upper part,

meshing with the gear 20, the gears 16 being .on stub-shafts 17, mounte on a support 18,

this case is exactly the same as that illus- "trated nrFlg. 1, except that the blades or ,made sufficiently buoyant to float.

bl1(l(llOS-til31 0t all simultaneously utilized.

It must be understood that the conductors 23 and 2-1 are suitably insulated. Attention is also called to the fact that one extremity of the drum is provided with a sortof' manheadi to permit access to the interior mechanisi'n. By virtue of excluding the water from the revoluble drum the latter is Therefore there is practically no strain upon the flexible devices 7 except suchas is necessary to maintain the apparatus in a constant position or location upon the surface of the water.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is 4 1. In a wave or current electrical generator, the combination with a frame suitably supported, and an electrical generator mountl 'ed'on the frame and located 'to'be acted upon by the wavesor currents of a body of water, the said enerator. being provided with a rotating crum havi-ng eXteriorly-projec-ting bladeswhere by rotary action is imparted to the drum for the ur ose set forth. f ,2. In. apparatus 0 the class described, the combination of aframe, suitable stationary supports,'flexible devices for connecting the: frame with the stationary supports, an electrical generator mounted on the frame and comprising a'rotary drum, an armature, the drum being revoluble on the armature-shaft and provided with blades to be acted on by the wave-or current to produce-rotary motion, a field mounted to rotate on the armature-shaft,'a gearing connection between the drum and field, .the armature-shaft being stationary and the gearing being such that the drum and field are rotated in reverse di-Q rections, substantially as described. I

3. Inapparatus of the class described, the combination of an electrical generator including a rotary drum revolubly suspended to be acted on by the wave or current of a body ofwater, the said drum being provided WllIll blades or paddles for producing rotary motion, an. armature having a stationary 'shaft, a field revoluble on the shaft, and a located to be acted on by the waves or cur rents of a body of water, the said drum being provided with blades or wings, electrical generating mechanism inclosed by the drum. and a suit able operative connection between the drum and generating means.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a sus endeddrum revolubly mounted and locate to be acted on'by the waves or currents of a body-of water, the exterior construction of the drum being such as to cause its rotation under the influence of the said waves or currents, electrical generating mechanism inclosed by the drum and formed sufficiently tight to exclude the Water, and a suitable operative connection between the drum and the said mechanism. 6. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination of a buoyant receptacle,

generating suitable means for maintaining the same in position upon the. surface ofthe water, the.

said receptacle being revolubly mounted and constructed to be rotated by the action of waves or currents,- electrical generating .means inclosedby the said receptacle, and a suitable operative connection between the revoluble receptacle and the inclosed generating means. I Y i In testimony whereof I affix my signat re in presence of two witnesses.

"JOHN T. WILMORE.

IVitnesses: I

DENA NELSON, OTTO E. HoDmeK. 

